Kerolin Nicoli transfer news: Man City striker set to join Barcelona as Women’s Super League’s most expensive transfer | Football news

It was short. Karolin joined the Women’s Super League only from the NWSL 18 months ago. He is about to depart as England’s most expensive export aircraft.

Set to sign for Barcelona, ​​Carolin’s £1.28m fee will break the current record held by Olivia Smith’s sale from Liverpool to Arsenal last summer. Barca are willing to break their own transfer policy in pursuit of the Brazilian, having never paid more than £500k.

But Carolin represents an exception to this rule. It was always like that, from the beginning of his journey playing barefoot with boys in the streets of Sao Paulo. He was different. The ball was painful to kick, he admitted, but he did it anyway.

So, perhaps there is an air of inevitability about the switch to the four-time European champions. This is the path he expected to follow. “Top players play here or in Spain,” he said Sky Sports when he signs for Man City in January 2025. “Being in the world view.”

He leaves the WSL champion.

Being considered the best player in the game doesn’t require playing for Barcelona, ​​but it helps. Each of the last five Ballon d’Or winners was representing a Catalan club when they won the award. Carolin will be a teammate of her current manager Aitana Bonmati.

Indeed, if the Ballon d’Or is the goal then Barcelona have a proven track record. It’s a fertile ground for recognition and success, with silverware almost guaranteed and the chance to star in a team that’s being rebuilt under Pere Romeu. A summer of change has seen a number of big names leave: Alexia Putellas, Ona Batlle and Mapi Leon among them.

But Carolin’s transformation follows the departure of striker Salma Paralluelo, a player who resembles her in profile. The 22-year-old, who scored twice in last season’s Champions League final, is an emerging talent desperate for success, now without a club after failing to agree terms.

Karolin, who has been interested in a transfer from Arsenal, is absolutely ready to follow him. Barcelona’s need for a player of Carolin’s talents is greater than City’s, who are hit with a wide range of players, and the big money sends a timely message.

Maintenance as a leading superpower in Europe is not cheap. Barcelona have been burdened by financial problems in the past few years, relying on their global efforts to attract and retain the game’s top stars. But others hold back; their persuasion alone is not enough.

To keep up with the pace, Barcelona must show that they are willing to be financially ahead of their European rivals. The capture of Carolin will be a statement signing for a club that needs some reassurance after saying goodbye to four top players in as many weeks. Proof that Romeu is reforming, instead of changing his team of aces.

And this movement is not an ego trip. Karolin made 37 WSL appearances for Man City, scoring 12 goals. Only Khadija Shaw and Stina Blackstenius have a better goals-against average of 90 in that time. No player can match Carolin for moves attempted or completed.

In fact, there are few forwards who can boast of his overall ability. He can balance scoring and creating, the art of football in football and the outside world of football, and he has explosive speed in both directions. You get screaming points, too, for quality on both sides.

His departure less than two years after signing will be felt premature by many in Manchester, including City’s top goalscorer Shaw, who used to support him.

But business is business; an unusual agreement where the benefits are divided equally. Man City are getting a huge return on their investment and making room for one of their best players to improve. Any one of Aoba Fujino, Mary Fowler, Iman Beney, or the newly hired Beth Mead would fit the bill.

Barcelona, ​​on the other hand, has a growing awareness of the increased competition it faces to stay the queens of Europe. They remain the highest mark of success for now, but they need a new impetus to stay there. Carolin greatly improves their chances.